Core winding start device



Dec. 22, 1964 D. J. BALASH CORE WINDING START DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1963 Dec. 22, 1964 D. J. BALASH 3,162,333

CORE WINDING START DEVICE Filed May 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,162,388 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,388 CORE WINDING START DEVICE Donald J. Balash, Bay City, Mich, assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 27, 1963, Ser. No. 283,337 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-19) This invention relates to a device for use on relatively highspeed thread, or fiber winding machines, for starting a fiber winding on a core on such machines.

In the manufacture of certain plastic fibers, threads or microtapes, such as those formed of polypropylene, polyethylene .and polymers containing vinylidene chloride, a

. plurality of fibers, which can be mono-filaments or bundles of mono-filaments, are taken from a final snubber to a winding machine where the fibers are individually wound upon separate cores to form packages of predetermined size. Present winding machines can operate at fiber speeds of up to approximately 1000 feet per minute. However, present machines which operate at such high speeds generally require slow-down or stopping when starting a thread on a core. In the interest of more efficient productivity, it is contemplated to develop winding machines to operate with fiber speeds over 1000 feet per minute, and which will not require machine slow-down or stopping for thread starting on a core. At fiber speeds of even 350 feet per minute, great manual dexterity is required to start a moving fiber upon a core, since the core must be rotating with a surface speed of approximately the same as the moving fiber if bunching, or snarling is to be avoided. Manual core starting operations in a winding machine are impractical, if not almost impossible, at fiber speeds in excess of 400 feet per minute.

The device of the present invention solves the problem of manually starting a core of thread in a winding machine at speeds in excess of 400 feet per minute, in a simple and effective manner. Briefly, the device of the invention is in the form of a thin circular disc, having an abutment means, such as a slot, formed therein. The disc is aflixed to the end of the winding spindle for rotation therewith. By a simple thread guiding maneuver, the moving fiber is engaged by the slot of the rotating disc and wrapped about the core on the spindle. Cutting means are arranged whereby the waste end of the fiber may be out after winding operation commences. The device of the invention is readily adapted to existing winding machines without the need for extensive modification, if at all.

The man object of this invention is to provide a device for use in manually starting a fiber upon a core in a high speed winding machine.

A more specific object is to provide a device for use in manually starting a moving fiber upon a core in a winding machine wherein the fiber is moving in excess of 400 feet per minute, and wherein it is not required to slow down or stop the machine to start a fiber upon a core.

Another object is to provide a device for manually starting a moving fiber upon a core in a winding machine, in a simple and effective manner.

These and further objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a winding machine having a fiber or thread roll starting device illustrative of an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view as seen from line 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the device of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, numeral 6 identifies a portion of a thread winding machine, which may be of the type manufactured under the label of the Universal Winding Company, of Providence, Rhode Island, and identified as Model No. 955, and which has a plurality of winding spindle assemblies 8. The machine includes means to independently regulate the speed of the spindles 8 and to cause winding of cores, in a desired manner. Since the present invention is concerned primarily with the starting of a fiber on a core, various details of the winding machine will not be discussed other than where necessary for a full understanding of the invention.

The winding machine includes a pressure plate and traversing guide assembly 10 adapted to engage the fiber for proper winding action upon a core. Hanger means 12 are arranged upon the machine for support of a fiber, which comes from a snubber (not shown), and is pulled by an air aspirator (not shown) mounted at the distal end of the row of winder heads. While only one set of hanger means is shown, it is pointed out that there will be as many sets of hanger means as required to serve all the spindles on the winder. A winder compensator arm 14 is arranged for control action of each spindle.

The device of the invention is in the form of a slotted, circular disc 16 which is affixed to the end of a spindle 8. The major diameter of the disc 16 is somewhat less than the inner diameter of a core 18 on which the winding is to take place, so that the core may be slipped axially on or off a spindle 8. Each spindle assembly has a pair of helical springs 20 extending about the spindle and mounted in parallel planes, which springs serve as a resilient support for a core during a winding operation.

The disc 16, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, has an L- shaped slot one leg 22 of which is positioned radially and extends inwardly from the periphery of the disc to a distance of approximately one-quarter the diameter of the disc, the other, or base leg 24 being at a right angle to the first leg and extending in a direction opposite to which the disc will rotate with the spindle. A slot width of 43 inch on a 1 inch diameter disc, was found to provide satisfactory results. A hole 26 is provided in the center of the disc whereby the disc may be mounted on the spindle and secured thereto by a snap-ring, or washer 28. A blade 30, having a cutting edge 32, is mounted upon the inside of the disc by fastening means in the form of bolt and nut assemblages 34, so that the cutting edge traverses the slot leg 24.

A modified form of disc 36 is shown in FIG. 4, which differs from the disc 16 primarily in the fact that a removable cutter element is eliminated. The disc 36 includes an L-shaped slot one leg 38 of which extends in chordal manner from the periphery of the disc (a workable range of the slot angle indicated as A, is approximately from 45 to 90) the other, or base leg 40 being at a right angle to the first leg and extending in a direction opposite to which the disc will rotate with the spindle. An edge 41 on base leg 40 is sharpened to provide a cutting edge which will function in the manner of the cutting edge 32 of the blade 30. The material of the discs 16 and 36, is preferably metal, or equivalent to provide the required strength, or rigidity.

It may be desirable to place a cutting means somewhere on the machine, i.e., not on, or associated with the discs 36, or 16, and still obtain convenient and satisfactory cutting action of the fiber after winding has begun on the ually pulleddo'wn from between the hanger means 12 so as to pass around avwinderacompensating arm..14,v thence.

up between a core 18 and the pressure plate and traversing guide assembly 10 toward the right,(FIG. 1) ofthe core.

The portion of;, the fiberj44 below the core is-held in position near the ldrigitudinalcenter of the core while that portion of the fiber above the core is pulled into close proximity to the spinning-disc ;1 6. --This causes the fibQr to engage in theIslot 22jand begintwrapping about the core 18. The-free end of .thefiberjs then pulled'across the-face of'the disc, whichzmotion brings it in contact with thejbladecutting. edge 32 causing it to be cut. The I cut, or waste end of the fiber is;then release d, whereupon .it is drawn into acollection bag (not, shown) on the out let end of the aspirator. It should'be notedthat the .fiber- '44 is always in mot-ion during start of a thread winding operation upon a core; =.-in other words the machine need not be slowed'down or-stopped at any time during core winding.

An alternative method rof starting a core-windingopera-s tion,1is,,as follows Themmoving fiber 44 is manually pulled down from between the hanger means 12: so as to pass around thewindercompensating arm 14,tthe,nce up between'the core 18 andth'e pressure plate and traversing'.

=guide assembly 10 toward-theleftQ-(EIG l).of -the core, and held in position near the longitudinal center of the ,fcore 18; The fiberxis pulleddown across the rotating core anduthen outward and-down ,to cause it to pass across-the disc 16. As thisis done,;the fiber is caught'by the slotZZ of. the disc which action; commences wrapping of g the thread about the core. The free end of the fiber extending from the slbtteddisc is then pulledacross the face of the disc which motion brings the fiber into contact with the '7 the invention" will" satisfy the objectives set forth herein- '1'; A core. winding starter for use on a thread winding :machine having a spindle for receipt of a core and including, a fiat circulardis c arranged forr a'ttachernent to the end of a spindle for rotation therewith, said disc having an ,L-shaped slot formed therein which extends inwardly from; the periphery of the disc with Ithebase legfof said slot extending in a direction vopposit'etouthe direction in which the disc is rotated While on the .ts pi'ndle; saidslot 'mbeing arranged for engagementof a thread when brought ,edge' extending across said slot;

into contact with thedisc to cause'initial wrapping of the thread upon the core, and .a cutting means positionedv near the end of the base leg of the slot for cutting a thread after it is; engaged by the isloti,

2, A corewindingstarter. according to claim 1, wherein said cutting means is formed of. a blade. having a cutting 3. ;A core windin starte according to claim I wherein said cutting means is formed on the. base leg of the Igcutting edge-32 causing it to be cut." ,The cut, or waste I end of the fiber is thenreleased, whereupon it is drawn into.a;co1lection bag ,(not shown) on the outlet end ofthe aspirator. 1 1 g It will be seen from the-foregoing that the device of References-Cited in'vthe of patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I I V FOREIGN PATENTS 974,536-- 'Germanyt Apr. 6, 1961 748,328 Great-:Britain fl; Apr.t25t, 195.6

"-GreatBrit-ain ..-Oct.21, 1959 

1. A CORE WINDING STARTER FOR USE ON A THREAD WINDING MACHINE HAVING A SPINDLE FOR RECEIPT OF A CORE AND INCLUDING, A FLAT CIRCULAR DISC ARRANGED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE END OF A SPINDLE FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID DISC HAVING AN L-SHAPED SLOT FORMED THEREIN WHICH EXTENDS INWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE DISC WITH THE BASE LEG OF SAID SLOT EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE DISC IS ROTATED WHILE ON THE SPINDEL, SAID SLOT BEING ARRANGED FOR ENGAGEMENT OF A THREAD WHEN BROUGHT INTO CONTACT WITH THE DISC TO CAUSE INITIAL WRAPPING OF THE THREAD UPON THE CORE, AND A CUTTING MEANS POSITIONED NEAR THE END OF THE BASE LEG OF THE SLOT FOR CUTTING A THREAD AFTER IT IS ENGAGED BY THE SLOT. 